Chemical distribution creates unique challenges. Exotrac’s Yard Management Solution (YMS) provides critical benefits for your Chemical Distribution company.

 

Chemical Distribution

Because of the hazardous nature of many of their product lines, chemical companies require enhanced control and tracking of all containers and trailers. Since much of their product is temperature controlled, they need to monitor temperature and refrigerator fuel consumption. For HAZMAT loads, the logistic management team needs to ensure their containers are free from damage that may result in spillage. They face serious challenges related to the command and control of their various facilities and campuses, necessitating real-time visibility of all assets. Exotrac’s Real Time Yard Management Solution (YMS) achieves critical benefits throughout the supply chain by seamlessly providing real-time data to all constituent groups, creating the essential supply chain link connecting the carriers, TMS and WMS systems. The system ensures valid real-time information that is actionable, empowering the management and control team to resolve issues and mitigate risk with immediacy. Clients obtain real-time alerts regarding critical issues potentially impacting the viability of trailers and containers within the distribution environment.

The management team receives alerts regarding each trailer/container advising  them of damage, fuel consumption, refrigeration temperature and status creating immediate accountability.The yard operation becomes a facilitator controlling the flow of chemicals and by-products along with the attendant data into and out of the distribution campus with real-time visibility allowing our Chemical clients to proactively plan, organize and optimize their supply chain. The result is supply chain efficiency, cost reduction, spillage reduction and high level customer experience at an economical price.

Our manufacturing customers realized:

  • Reduced spillage resulting from comprehensive inbound and outbound inspection melded with the real-time visual documentation capabilities of the android tablet.
  • Visibility, status and condition of all road/rail/sea trailers and containers within the processing campus.
  • Real-time visibility of all containers from port and railroad yard into and out of the distribution campus allowing just-in-time processing.
  • Return on investment delivered in months rather than years.
  • No impact to the capital budget as Exotrac is fee based rather than capital.
  • Reduced fuel consumption on refrigerated trailer fleet and yard tractors.
  • The ability to pre-plan door moves to optimize staffing and proximity.
  • Reduced overall handling costs because all movements of products into and out of the distribution campus optimize efficiency in real-time.
  • Better yard utilization within the distribution campus increasing the longevity of the physical plant and yard campus geography.
  • Cloud-based technology that provides the ultimate in flexibility requiring little or no corporate IT involvement.
  • A significant reduction of detention and demurrage fees.
  • Reduced error rates as data is immediately uploaded from the android scan rather than key entry.
  • Improved carrier on-time efficiency resulting from Exotrac’s carrier reporting attributes.
  • Greater flexibility to adjust to changes in volume, seasonality, and customer expectations.
  • A yard operation that performed as a conduit effectively connecting the Yard Management Solution with the TMS and WMS eliminating the data visibility void in the supply chain.
  • Reductions in overall transportation spend because carriers are simply more effective managing their business when their customer is more effective managing their business.
  • A Web dashboard that provides instant access to data via computer, smart phone, tablet or any wireless device allowing instant reaction to exception situations.
  • A reporting mechanism based upon Key Performance Indicators (KPI’s) empowering both managers and executives to take immediate corrective action where necessary.
  • Improved visibility, transparency, accountability and communication throughout the supply chain resulting from real-time data visibility.
Key Features of the Exotrac Real-Time Yard Management System
  • On demand dispatch move functionality for Yard Jockey operations.
  • FIFO (first-in-first-out) prioritization.
  • Know when orders are processed in real-time, improving compliance and inventory management.
  • Manage any type of shipment or load type including: prepaid, collect, LTL, TL, Container and parcel with exception tracking and reporting.
  • Expandable software design allows optimization of single or multiple site operations.
  • Seamless transition with corporate legacy systems, ERP, WMS, TMS and vendor supplier systems.
  • Real-time visibility of all assets, locations and transactions – 24/7/365.
  • Current processes are analyzed and reengineered to ensure optimum efficiency.
  • Utilization of the “local” terminology streamlines the training process and overall installation timeline by retaining as many points of familiarity as possible.
  • Flexible software platforms are 90% functional out of the box, with 10% tailored to operational needs.
  • Performance tracking and exception reporting on trailer arrival and departure, measuring carrier and drayage company compliance.
  • Dashboard metrics allow management to visualize yard activity and equipment placement, as well as detention and demurrage.
  • Know what is in each trailer or container, when it will arrive and what to do with it. when it arrives gives the ‘3PL’ team the optimum efficiency and improves the overall operational effectiveness.
  • The system is a verified management tool for managing vendor and supplier compliance accomplished through the automation of physical yard checks and simplified door plan management in gate and out gate, door cycle and transit between campus facilities in real-time.
  • Web portal allows customer, carrier, rail yard and port to view their respective trailer pool.
  • Key Performance Indicators analytics provide management reports necessary to drive process improvements.
Our customers are singing our praises

“Exotrac provided us a higher level of accountability and control allowing us to plan more effectively the movement of product through our distribution campuses because we can now visualize in advance – “what product and type of container is arriving from or leaving to the various points within our network“.